Month / November 2011

Here is another interesting sequencer for iOS just released called PixiTracker. This is the new baby of Alexander Zolotov who also brought us SunVox. I love the full screen view that flashes the large sound icons!

“No time to delve into the big and serious music apps? PixiTracker is what you need! It is a simple and fun tool to quickly create musical sketches or chip tunes. Without requiring a lot of musical knowledge!” – Alexander Zolotov

More music selling, sharing madness is upon us with Google Music and iTunes Match. A few months ago I started using Spotify. Here’s what I briefly am feeling now on overall topic. I’m still discovering most of my music via YouTube. I like obscur 80s electronic releases and even better the occasional rare demo tapes. If I find some new lost or interesting song on YouTube Google’s great search engine groups related videos in the sidebar. I’ve found over 100 songs that way in just a couple of months. Some of the songs I find on iTunes and then buy. Some will never be for sale anywhere. For example, a 1981 demo cassette uploaded in Italy with only 2 YouTube views. I “save” those songs audio and add it to my iTunes library. Apple fanboyism aside iTunes Match is incredible for my use case. It now takes all my purchased songs and obscur finds and let’s me have them everywhere. I thought I would use Spotify more but my friends who I follow aren’t listening to anything I really want to hear. The few Spotify playlist websites aren’t full of playlists that interest me. It’s an amazing service but I haven’t clicked with it yet. I’m not giving up on it yet though. I live in Gmail and Google docs all day. I’m trying to like Google+ but although I post things there my engagement seems low. The best thing about Google music will be it’s Google+ integration. Of course if Google+ doesn’t keep my interest then that’s out the window. As a musician I wonder what the cut will be for Indies on G+?

“If you want the benefits of iTunes in the Cloud for music you haven’t purchased from iTunes, iTunes Match is the perfect solution. It’s built right into the iTunes app on your Mac or PC and the Music app on your iOS devices. And it lets you store your entire collection, including music you’ve imported from CDs or purchased somewhere other than iTunes. For just $24.99 a year.” – Apple.com

To avoid unwanted resonance you typically do not want to put your monitor speakers directly on your desk. Most people use floor to ear height speaker stands. If you have to have your speakers on your desk a cost effective but not quiet perfect solution is to use Auralex MoPads. Ardán Audio has come up with a slick alternative. The elevation pro™ EVP-M1 stands tilt, rotate and in my opinion look really cool. Ardán is an Irish company based in Dublin and these stands are made in Italy. The downside? $682 USD.

“Over two years in intense development, the Elevation Pro (TM) Speaker Stands are unique, patented stands for speakers, with the complete functions of vibration isolation, rotation and tilt that deliver a much improved sound from your existing speakers.” – ardanaudio.com

Even if you don’t want to get into creating your own instruments and effects both Reaktor and Max for Live are worth getting for their user libraries of Ensembles and Devices.

“Dubspot Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Instructor Evan Sutton explains how to make basic connections and building a subtractive synthesizer using Native Instruments Reaktor’s Built In Modules in this new tutorial.” –youtube.com/user/DubSpot

Chris aka Pym who works for Dave Smith Instruments posted the above set of samples from the Tempest. These are no substitute for the owning the real thing but it helps you get an understanding of it’s sound.

“Have you heard the samples I put up on soundcloud? Analog only, no external FX. I played some of those back to back with an 808, double blind, and they SLAM on a big sound system. Granted the snares still need some work, but I think some small envelope tweaks will help them hit a bit harder/cleaner. Played them on a very nice Function One system up here a couple weeks ago and was very happy with the bass. The really low kick (one of the last samples) was really deep, very powerful on a well tuned system, and that isn’t even as low as the Tempest can go.” – Pym

Here’s a video showing how to use Audioease’s Speakerphone to create 80s VHS type warble and distortion. I’ve had my eye on Speakerphone for a while and well now I own it (thanks Torley!).

“A bad GSM connection on a busy sidewalk, a bullhorn with feedback and a helicopter overhead, or a 1952 rockabilly guitar amp in a recording studio live room: The Speakerphone audio plug-in gives you authentic speakers of any size together with their natural environments.” – audioease.com

My father had a huge impact on my music career. He tortured me enough and let me roam through NYC in the late 80s to make sure I had plenty to sing about in life. He also was fully supportive bringing home analog synths from his school’s music lab and then purchasing me a Roland S-50 sampler (story: here). It’s veteran’s day in the US today. My dad hated war and never showed these slides to us. After he died last year I found a few hundred of these. I scanned the first 20 this week and this was one of them. He is reading the Russian author Vladimir Nabokov who wrote Lolitta. If you knew my father a photo of him reading that book would make you laugh pretty hard!

“The Korean War (25 June 1950 – armistice signed 27 July 1953) was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), with military material aid from the Soviet Union. The war was a result of the physical division of Korea by an agreement of the victorious Allies at the conclusion of the Pacific War at the end of World War II.” – Wikipedia

Nitzer Ebb’s early and wonderful EBM track Isn’t it Funny How Your Body Works? reproduced by a DIY modular system. So here’s my proposal to the builder Henrik Nydell… make me some original patterns and I’ll scream for you! Imagine taking that beast live?

“My DIY MFOS modular – the Modulator – playing Isn’t it funny how your body works by Nitzer Ebb. The 16-step sequencer’s gate outputs trigs two ADSRs for bass drum. Clock out is sent to slave 10-step sequencer and to two ARs controlling filter cutoff and VCA. 16 step seq CV out gets patched to both VCOs. The stereo auto panner is used during the last few seconds.” – hnydell

Here’s two dance off competitions. Both are awesome in their own ways. I know humans are crazy everywhere but in the USA we know how to push it. Make sure you watch the end of Bronx vs Brooklyn… eat that China.

“Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music,[1] used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.” – Wikipedia

If you come to my live show and your anywhere near the front half of the club when I perform there is a good chance I will give you one of these new stickers. They were designed by Maurice Roy who does almost all of my graphic works. The “I Know Your Pain” text is a lyric from the song I Stand with You. That song was the most chosen to be remixed on the soon to be released Joyless Pleasure Remixed album. The next live show is Malta on December 3… see you there!

“YOUR FIST IS IN THE AIR YOU SCREAM AND I KNOW YOUR PAIN I WILL SWEAT WITH YOU I KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS I HAVE THEM TOO”